Broken Heroics
by Chase Clayrens Wikolay
Summary: Newly apprenticed Palepaw only wants to be the best apprentice, and warrior, that WindClan has.  But all is not as it seems on the moor; cats hide conflicts that could tear WindClan apart...and Palepaw has gotten stuck right in the middle.  Rated T.
1. New Beginnings

**A/N: I do not own Warriors! I own only my characters!**

**This is one of my first stories, and my first Warriors one. Please review and tell me what you think so far!**

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Tallrock for a Clan meeting!"

Palekit's eyes flickered open as the cry rang out across the WindClan camp. He hopped up onto his feet, and then scrambled out of the nursery, which was a small hole in the ground near the edge of the camp clearing. As he began leaping excitedly towards the immense rock known as the Tallrock, a paw snatched him backwards. Palekit let out a hiss of annoyance before he turned to see who had stopped him.

His mother, Dawnfire, stared back at him with dark blue eyes. With a flick of her dark orange fur, she signaled him. Palekit hesitated, turning to look at the Tallrock with his bright amber eyes. Hearing a hiss of warning from behind him, he turned and strode back to his mother. Dawnfire proceeded to wash her son's dark tawny pelt. Squeaking in dismay, Palekit tried to wriggle away from her, batting at her with his light-brown, almost ginger, paws. She glared at him and Palekit stopped.

"Are you done yet?" Palekit asked impatiently. Dawnfire muttered a reply, but at the same time swept her tongue over his ear, muffling what she said. The ear flicked in annoyance. "What?" he said, turning to look his mother in her eyes. Dawnfire stopped licking him, her green eyes sparkling with pride. Palekit watched her, filled with a deep love. By some sudden urge, he reached up and licked his mother on the shoulder. She purred, and Palekit almost wished this ceremony wasn't about to happen. _Almost_, he thought excitedly.

"I said," Dawnfire meowed after Palekit pulled away, "that, yes, I was finished cleaning you." Palekit squeaked in excitement, and dashed off towards the Tallrock. The Tallrock was one of many boulders that surrounded the WindClan camp, except it was much larger than any others, and was ideal for calling meetings. Palekit stopped in front of the large Tallrock, and gazed up in wonder at the top.

Movement caught his eye on the edge of the boulder, and he turned his head to see the tortoiseshell pelt of the WindClan leader as he climbed up onto Tallrock. Palekit had nothing but respect for the leader, and admired him greatly. He shifted, out of nervousness and excitement, on the soft ground, and a small plume of dust was kicked up. There was a sudden huff of exasperation behind him, and then a tongue began to clean his newly-dirty fur again.

"Now, Palekit," his mother's voice whispered quietly into his ear as she washed him, "you must make sure you wait until Spottedstar names your mentor before you walk forward. Then, you must touch noses with the chosen mentor." Palekit nodded, not paying attention as he gazed around the clearing at the cats, wondering who would be his mentor. Spottedstar's yowl turned his gaze back on the leader.

"Cats of WindClan, we have been thriving these past moons. However, we currently only have two apprentices, and that it is a problem that I intend to fix. Palekit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Palepaw. I ask StarClan to watch over you and guide you until you find in your paws the strength and courage of a warrior." Spottedstar's amber gaze swept over the clearing, as if he was searching through them, until it settled on an ashen gray tom with teeth that hung out of his mouth.

"Stormfang, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You had received excellent training from Nettleclaw, you have shown yourself to be courageous and honorable, and I expect you to pass on all you know to Palepaw." The gray warrior dipped his head respectfully and stepped forward. When he reached his new apprentice, he leaned his head down to touch noses. Palepaw blinked in confusion before he realized what was happening, and shoved his face forward. His nose smacked into Stormfang's, and caused both the warrior and the apprentice to squeak in pain.

Muttered snickering and chuckling could be heard throughout the clearing, and Palepaw lowered his ears in embarrassment as the cats called out his new name. "Palepaw! Palepaw! Palepaw!" Palepaw shifted his paws embarrassingly as he heard his mother's voice loudest of all. Feeling a light brush on his flank, he turned to see Stormfang looking expectantly at him.

"So, are you ready to begin your first day as an apprentice, Palepaw?" Palepaw was so excited that he could only manage to nod rapidly. Stormfang chuckled quietly before turning and heading out of the camp. "Then let's begin with a little battle training, shall we?" From behind him, Palepaw heard Dawnfire shuffle, and she stalked around to face the gray tom.

"Oh, he's not going to get hurt, is he? I mean, he only just started his apprenticeship. Maybe you should wait until he's a little older for battle training." Her eyes were round with fear for her young kit, but Palepaw was glaring at her. His mentor eyed her for a moment before flicking his tail at his apprentice.

"She's right, actually, Palepaw, in some sense. So right now, I'll teach you about gathering moss. Don't worry," he said, as Palepaw glowered at the ground in disappointment, "the skills you learn while gathering moss will help make you a better warrior." Palepaw nodded, hiding his disappointment, before he followed his mentor out of the camp through a break in the rocky wall. They continued walking for a minute, before stopping in front of a group of rocks covered in a green fuzzy substance. "That's moss," he said, flicking his tail at it.

"I know what moss looks like," Palepaw muttered darkly. "Let's just do this already, okay?" Stormfang sighed visibly and shook his head before demonstrating how to scrape the moss. Palepaw imitated him absentmindedly, until a quick reprimand brought his mind back to focus. Stormfang's tail flicked back and forth in annoyance as he watched his apprentice scuff the moss from the rock. Palepaw looked anxiously at his mentor, then turned and hastily tried to make the small squares of moss look neater.

"You do understand that what you're doing right now is also a valuable battle maneuver, right, Palepaw?" At Stormfang's words, Palepaw paused, looking curiously down at his claws. "Those swipes you are performing will become invaluable in the heat of battle. Also, when we carry this moss back to camp, you will learn a great way to carry prey. We can learn something important in even the most menial tasks; remember that, Palepaw."

Moonlight shone down on the clearing as Palepaw settled down with the other apprentices. A shiver ran down his spine as he realized that he was now sleeping out under the starry sky, no longer in the nursery under the ground. It had been a half-moon since Palepaw had begun his training; in that half-moon, Palepaw had learned more than he thought possible. _And I still have more to learn!_ he thought excitedly as he circled and lay down in his nest. _Tonight's the Gathering. I wish I could have gone; at least Stormfang's going! When he gets back, I'm going to have him tell me all about what happened._ Stifling a yawn, Palepaw gazed up at the starry sky, his eyes tracing the great constellation of Silverpelt. Silverpelt was the place where warriors went after they had died.

He blinked back tears. _I wonder if Mossheart is up there_, he thought, recalling the death of his father one moon ago. It had been in battle, as his father surely would have wanted to go. ThunderClan had been stealing prey from their border, though they wouldn't admit it at any Gatherings. Spottedstar decided he would attack the next group to wander over the border, and put together an attack group, which included both Spottedstar and Mossheart. The following day, cats _did_ come and take prey, though they weren't ThunderClan; they were a large group of rogues who went by the name BloodClan. Spottedstar growled a warning at them, but they wouldn't listen, forcing the WindClan warriors to attack.

Not only did Mossheart die, but Spottedstar also lost his sixth life, leaving him with only three more. Needless to say, both Palepaw and Dawnfire paid no attention to the leader's life; they both grieved for Mossheart. And now, one moon later, Dawnfire had come to her senses. But something inside Palepaw had died; he had looked up to his father, the former deputy of WindClan. _And he didn't even live long enough to see me named an apprentice_, he thought dejectedly. The new deputy was a light gray, almost white, queen by the name of Sootpelt.

Palepaw sighed and his ears drooped as he recalled Mossheart's death. _I hope he's watching me,_ he thought, _watching me grow into the warrior that he was._ Slowly, Silverpelt blurred into nothingness as Palepaw drifted to sleep. Suddenly, a scream split the night, and Palepaw's eyes snapped open. He jumped up and spun around wildly. The first thing he noticed was that the clearing was empty. _What's going on?_ he thought desperately. He took a tentative step forward, then quickly pulled his paw back when he felt a sticky substance. Looking down, Palepaw saw that the whole camp was washed in blood. The scent filled him as he looked wildly around. Out of nowhere, he spotted a cat lying on the ground. Dreading who it might be, he ran up to it, trying to ignore the sticky substance underneath his pads.

As he got nearer, Palepaw saw that it was two cats. But, as he got even closer, he saw that it was not two cats, but a whole pile. Despair filled him as he came to a stop in front of the pile. On the top, soaked in blood and barely recognizable, were the bodies of Dawnfire, Mossheart, Stormfang, and Spottedstar. Palepaw recognized the bodies of the other cats that made up WindClan, even the kits and elders. He backed away, shocked, until his back paws hit something. Spinning around, he found himself staring into the eyes of a shadowy beast. He turned and bolted, letting out an earsplitting cry.

"What's all the racket?" a voice cried all of a sudden. Palepaw's tail twitched, and he woke up. _It was only a dream; just a terrible dream. But_, he thought,_ what could it possibly mean?_ He opened his eyes, and found himself staring into the bright green eyes of his mentor. "Is everything alright?" he meowed, suddenly stretching down and smoothing the fur on the top of Palepaw's head with his tongue. Palepaw sat through it until his mentor pulled away. He blinked, his blue eyes round with fear and embarrassment.

"It was nothing, Stormfang. Just a bad dream," he murmured. Stormfang nodded, his eyes full of sympathy as he backed away, and padded over to the other warriors. As his mentor left, Palepaw noticed that the Gathering patrol had just returned. The other apprentices gave Palepaw looks of sympathy before they settled back down. Palepaw shuddered at the idea of sleep, but lay down anyway. Though he was not ready to go back to sleep, for fear the dream would return, he closed his eyes, and eventually drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep.

"It's time to wake up, sleepypaws," a deep voice murmured. Palepaw shifted before opening his eyes to stare at Stormfang. "Training time," his mentor said with a smile. "Go get some fresh-kill before we go out." Palepaw nodded slowly as he stood up. Still not fully awake, he arched his back in a stretch. Shaking the sleep from his head, he padded over to the fresh-kill pile. _It looks low,_ he thought. _Maybe Stormfang will take me hunting today._ He snatched a skinny rabbit from the pile and padded back to the other apprentices. Settling down, he sank his teeth hungrily into the rabbit's fur.

A sudden thought caused Palepaw to perk his ears in curiosity. _Last night was the Gathering! I can't wait to hear from Stormfang what it was like._ He hastily gulped the rest of his rabbit down before he bolted up and ran over to Stormfang. The gray tom was still eating a rabbit, and looked at Palepaw questioningly. Palepaw blinked in sudden embarrassment, shuffling his forepaws as he struggled for the right words.

"Er, um, I was just wondering what the Gathering was like, Stormfang." While the tawny apprentice was speaking, Stormfang finished his meal and stood up.

"Don't worry, little apprentice. I'll tell you all about it while we're training. Come on," he said, flicking his tail, "it's time we got you in some battle training." Palepaw's ears pricked in excitement, and he quickly jumped and followed Stormfang as they left the camp. "Since WindClan has no real training area, I'm just taking you a small area from the camp so we don't disturb the elders or kits." Palepaw nodded as he followed his mentor.

Stormfang stopped in the middle of a dusty clearing. Turning, Stormfang faced the tawny apprentice. "This will be far enough," he explained. "Now, the first thing you'll have to learn is to think first, but don't think too much. I want you to size me up, and try to knock me down." Palepaw nodded, daunted for a moment by the warrior's size. His eyes roamed over the gray pelt, until they settled on his forepaws. Without waiting for Stormfang to see, he darted at his mentor's paws and swiped. Stormfang jumped backward, causing Palepaw to overbalance and fall forward.

Sputtering, Palepaw picked himself up from the dirt. He shook his head in irritation. "You have to consider my size, and my speed. I am stronger than you, Palepaw, and quicker. You must use your brain to stop me. Now, here I come!" Stormfang launched at Palepaw. Palepaw backed away, and then dropped into a crouch. As Stormfang grew closer, he sprang into the air with a mighty leap, landing on the gray warrior's back. With a yowl of triumph, he reached down to bite his neck gently. A sudden buck threw him off, causing him to land on the dirt with a muted thump.

"Better," Stormfang's voice mewed, "but the battle is not over until you have given the final bite." They continued training as the sun arced over the sky. When it was nearly sunhigh, Stormfang yowled to halt. "That is enough," he said. "I can see that you are tired, and you have done well. Now, let us return to camp. Tomorrow, we will continue your training." Palepaw lay on the ground panting. Hearing Stormfang's words, he pushed himself off the ground and followed his mentor, though his paws felt dead with exhaustion.

Upon entering the WindClan camp, Palepaw saw that there was unrest. Confused, he began making his way to his mother. But before he could reach Dawnfire, a small, light-brown apprentice with unusually sharp claws stopped him. Palepaw was irked, but he let it go.

"Briarpaw," he said, trying to mask his irritation, "what's going on?"

"First of all, Palepaw," she said menacingly, "don't think I didn't hear the irritation in your voice. But anyway," she continued, dismissing his tone, "RiverClan has been stealing prey from our borders! They openly admitted to it too!" The young apprentice was practically bouncing with excitement. Palepaw twitched his ears, and forgot about his mother for the moment.

"Really?" he asked, looking her in the eyes. "Were you…at the Gathering last night?" Briarpaw nodded viciously, and he didn't dare doubt her. "What, exactly, did the RiverClan leader say?"

"Swiftstar said," Briarpaw mewed hurriedly, "that they needed more prey because their territory was not supporting her clan. Then she looked Spottedstar in the eye and thanked him for the prey running on our borders." Palepaw couldn't believe his ears. RiverClan, stealing prey from WindClan territory! His neck fur bristled; Briarpaw noticed, and nodded. "I'm hoping Spottedstar will assemble a border raid party, and we'll be able to show those RiverClan cats we're not as soft as they think!" The eagerness in her mew was apparent, but Palepaw shook his head. He wasn't sure the best thing for the clan right now was a battle; and surely, battle was not the way to show a rival clan not to steal prey.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather hear beneath the Tallrock for a clan meeting!" Spottedstar's yowl cut into the small apprentice's thoughts, bringing him back to the clearing. He gathered along with the other WindClan cats as they settled beneath the boulder. He noticed that he was sitting right next to Briarpaw, but she took no notice of him. Shaking his head, Palepaw looked up to see what the tortoiseshell leader would have to say.

"Cats of WindClan," he called out, "RiverClan has admitted that they have been stealing prey from our border. It is in my mind that we should form a patrol, wait for them at the border, and shred them so they won't forget!" A yowl of agreement rose, and Palepaw looked around to see that he was the only one who seemed unready for battle.

"Dawnfire, Stormfang, Palepaw, Blacknose, Brightclaw, Briarpaw! You will accompany me!" Spottedstar leapt down from the Tallrock and padded over to the entrance to the camp. Palepaw looked and saw that the other warriors that had been called were also padding to the entrance. Nervous, Palepaw followed Briarpaw as the excited apprentice practically bounced over to the gathering patrol.

Palepaw found it extremely odd that Spottedstar had called together a patrol consisting of so few warriors, and two apprentices. _Surely this isn't enough cats to be able to survive an attack against RiverClan_, he thought as he gazed from one cat to another. His gaze lingered on Briarpaw, and especially her bright blue eyes. She caught his gaze, and flicked her tail teasingly. Palepaw twitched his ears in embarrassment and turned away.

As he turned, he caught a glimpse of white disappearing into a crack between two boulders. _Isn't that where the medicine cat lives?_ Palepaw thought with a pang of curiosity. Bending his ears, he heard that the clan leader was only giving the pre-battle orders. Making up his mind, Palepaw slipped away from the patrol and padded over to the crack. Peering inside, he was startled to see that there was a cave inside, with a roof almost five cat-lengths above his head.

As his gaze swept over the cave, he realized that his earlier surmise must have been correct. There was a nest in one corner of the cave, and the rest of the floor space was covered with all kinds of different plants. Tempted by curiosity, he stepped quietly around the cave, looking at leaves and berries, and even some roots. One small pile in particular, a group of three or four dark red berries, was huddled in a back corner.

Wondering what they must taste like, Palepaw stretched out and grasped one of the berries in his teeth. As he was about to bite down to taste, however, a loud yowl of alarm came from behind him. Palepaw spun around, the berry still in his mouth, to find himself face to face with the whitest cat he had ever seen. Stranger than the cat's color, though, were the cats penetrating green eyes. Before he could drop the berry and speak, the white cat rushed forward and batted the berry out of the apprentice's mouth.

He made no attempts to be gentle, and Palepaw laid his ears back in pain as the paw smacked him and knocked the berry from his teeth. Angry, he hissed, his tail twitching back and forth.

"What was that for, you stupid furball?" he cried out, not worried at the moment who he was speaking to, nor caring. The white cat met his gaze with contempt, and matched him for anger.

"Do you have any idea what you were about to eat?" he hissed challengingly. Palepaw blinked, and slowly shook his head. "That," he pointed with his paw at the small red berry, "is a deathberry." Palepaw stared at the white warrior, not understanding. With a sigh, the older cat continued. "Deathberries are an extremely poisonous berry; a single berry is deadly enough to kill kits and elders."

Palepaw blinked in surprise, then swiped the berry away from himself. "Why would poisonous berries be kept inside the WindClan camp?" he hissed, refusing to back down. "Wouldn't that just mean you have the added worry of keeping kits and elders from them as well as everything else? Who are you anyway?" he added, almost in afterthought. The white warrior's ears pricked in shock.

"You don't know who I am, or remember me?" A glint of amusement entered the cat's eyes. Palepaw opened his mouth, but before he could meow, the cat continued. "My name is Emeraldice. I'm your clan medicine cat, and your uncle," he added with a gleam. Palepaw blinked.

"Does that mean-"

"I'm your father, Mossheart's, brother. It seemed especially fitting that the brother of WindClan deputy be medicine cat, but now…" Emeraldice didn't finish the sentence, and Palepaw suddenly recognized the similarities between the medicine cat and his father: the broad shoulders, the green eyes, and the slender tail.

Without warning, Palepaw was hit with grief. He blinked back tears as he saw, in Emeraldice, his father. Seemingly in understanding, the white cat wrapped his tail around the young cat. Palepaw, seeking the comfort of a familiar face, pressed into the older cat's pelt. He stayed like that for a long time.

When the white pelt against him suddenly shifted, Palepaw opened his eyes and realized that he had fallen asleep. He craned his neck to see Emeraldice's face, and saw that the medicine cat was still asleep. Careful not to disturb him, Palepaw stood and backed out of the medicine cat's den, as he now realized it had to be.

He turned and came face-to-face with his mother, who wore a furious expression. Palepaw wondered if it might be worth trying to explain what had happened to him, but decided against it when Dawnfire spoke.

"Where have you been?" she cried out, the panic evident in her voice. Palepaw shuffled, and batted absently at the ground.

"I…I went into the medicine den," he murmured quietly, not meeting his mother's intense gaze. "I saw a cat, Emeraldice, go in there, and I wondered what the place was." He risked a glance at his mother, and saw that Dawnfire was looking at him now with obvious worry.

"You didn't eat anything, did you?" At this, Palepaw winced, remembering the conversation about the deathberries that he'd had with Emeraldice. Unable to completely lie to her, he simply shook his head and looked back down at the hard dirt. He heard a sigh of relief, then a wet tongue licked over his head. "You know," he heard her mew, almost as an afterthought, "I'm almost glad that you went in there. The raid party left hours ago; since you couldn't be found, they left without you."

Palepaw looked up, shocked. They had not waited for him, or even searched completely! Filled with a sudden anger, he stood up, and was about to go complain to Spottedstar when Dawnfire's orange paw pushed him back. Palepaw stopped himself from hissing in anger, and realized that, as she always had, she was just trying to protect her son.

Lowering his head in defeat, but not before Dawnfire gave it a reassuring lick, he began making his way over to the apprentice's den. _Briarpaw's not going to let me hear the end of this_, he thought sourly. Sure enough, before he could lie down on his nest, Briarpaw appeared at the camp entrance and shot over to Palepaw. She was followed by the other warriors from the patrol. He noticed that they were all covered in scratches and scrapes. His eyes widened as she came straight to him.

"You should have been there, Palepaw!" she mewed as soon as she was in range. She crouched down next to him, and bored her eyes into him. He was painfully aware of the wounds covering her as she continued to speak. "There were so many cats! It was so loud!" Palepaw saw her shudder, and blinked. Had it been that bad? "I fought a cat twice my size! He didn't stand a chance against my speed!"

"Weren't you...afraid? Wasn't it your first battle?" Palepaw mewed tentatively. Especially if she had fought a cat twice her size!

"Of course I was afraid, mouse-brain! But I just did what Foxfur taught me!" She was purring; Palepaw couldn't believe it. How could this cat enjoy battles so much, especially if they were as chaotic and wild as Briarpaw had said?


	2. Allegiances

**A/N: So, school is starting soon, so I'm going to just do my best with this story. Certain names were suggested by wilder123, and have been indicated. I do not own the Warriors series, the Clans, or the Lake Territories. I own only the names of these cats, and the plots they are included in.**

**A/N #2: Okay, I'm thinking about having periodical intermission-type things, to maybe help readers understand what's happening and point things out that others maybe missed their first read through. Not sure though, so your opinion on the subject would be very appreciated.  
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**Allegiances:**

**WindClan:**

**Leader:**

Spottedstar (Large tortoiseshell tom with amber eyes)

**Deputy:**

Rabbittail (Light brown tom with white tail and blue eyes)

_Medicine Cat:_

Emeraldice (Pure white tom with glittering green eyes)

**Warriors:**

Fangbreeze (Pale tabby she-cat with yellow eyes)

Dawnfire (Dark orange she-cat with dark blue eyes)

Blacknose (Brown tom with black muzzle; yellow eyes)

[Apprentice: Thistlepaw]

Stormfang (Ashen gray tom with blue eyes)

[Apprentice: Palepaw]

Sparrowflight (Pretty tortoiseshell she-cat with light green eyes)

Brightclaw (Brown tabby tom with yellow eyes)

Foxfur (Light ginger tom with amber eyes)

[Apprentice: Briarpaw]

Littlesong (Pretty white and brown spotted she-cat with blue eyes)

Goldfrost (Pale golden she-cat with yellow eyes)

Flarefur (Russet tom with blue eyes)

**Apprentices:**

Briarpaw (Pretty light brown she-cat with blue eyes)

Thislepaw (Dark tabby tom with broad shoulders; blue eyes)

Palepaw (Dark tabby tom with light brown, almost ginger, paws; amber eyes )

**Queens:**

Honeylight (Light ginger she-cat with faint tabby pattern; green eyes)

[Mother of Fleetkit, Bluekit, Flowerkit, and Cloudkit]

Sweetfang (Black she-cat with white muzzle; yellow eyes)

[Mother of Weaselkit and Gorsekit]

**Elders:**

Patchface (Dark tortoiseshell she-cat with long fur; yellow eyes)

Smalltail (Dark brown tom with blue eyes)

**ThunderClan:**

**Leader:**

Oakstar (Broad-shouldered brown tom with black spots; yellow eyes)

**Deputy:**

Blackfrost (Black she-cat with piercing blue eyes)

**Medicine Cat:**

Brightfoot (Black she-cat with white paws; blue eyes)

**Warriors:**

Sunfur (Ginger tom with yellow eyes)

Streaktooth (White and brown tortoiseshell tom with bright blue eyes)

Darkheart (Dark brown tom with bright amber eyes)

[Apprentice: Whitepaw]

Mousetail (Blue-gray she-cat with amber eyes)

Dapplefoot (Brown she-cat with lighter patches; amber eyes)

[Apprentice: Thrushpaw]

Ravenflight (Black tom with yellow eyes)

**Apprentices:**

Thrushpaw (Brown tabby tom with yellow eyes)

Whitepaw (White she-cat with blue eyes)

**Queens:**

Frostbird (Beautiful white she-cat with ice-blue eyes)

**Elders:**

Duskfoot (Pale gray tom with yellow eyes)

**RiverClan:**

**Leader:**

Swiftstar (Beautiful silver and white she-cat with dazzling green eyes)

**Deputy:**

Mistflow (Gray tabby she-cat with glittering blue eyes)

**Medicine Cat:**

Streamripple (Silver tabby tom with bright blue eyes)

[Apprentice: Redpaw]

**Warriors:**

Pebblemist (Solid gray she-cat with blue eyes)

Hawkstrike (Brown tabby tom with blue eyes)

Specklewave (Pretty brown she-cat with black spots; amber eyes)

[Apprentice: Rainpaw]

Mothleap (Light brown she-cat with green eyes)

Stonepelt (Dark gray tom with blue eyes)

[Apprentice: Willowpaw]

Icepool (Beautiful white she-cat with yellow eyes)

**Apprentices:**

Willowpaw (Mottled gray she-cat with yellow eyes)

Redpaw (Gray tom with dark ginger legs; blue eyes)

Rainpaw (Dark gray tom with bright yellow eyes)

**Queens:**

Dustwhisker (Pale she-cat with blue eyes)

[Mother of Maplekit, Seedkit, and Swampkit]

**Elders:**

Mudpath (Muddy brown tom with yellow eyes)

**ShadowClan:**

**Leader:**

Sweetstar (Dark brown she-cat with white tail; yellow eyes)

**Deputy:**

Flamestrike (Ginger tom with green eyes)

**Medicine Cat:**

Yellowcloud (Pale she-cat with amber eyes)

[Apprentice: Emberpaw]

**Warriors:**

Echoclaw (Beautiful black she-cat with dark blue eyes)

Smokewisp (Dark gray tom with glittering yellow eyes) [Name courtesy wilder123]

Marshfur (Dappled brown she-cat with green eyes) [Name courtesy wilder123]

[Apprentice: Fallenpaw]

Sootwish (Dark gray she-cat with amber eyes)

Owldust (Dark tabby tom with blue eyes)

[Apprentice: Tigerpaw]

Runningstep (Brown tabby tom with yellow eyes)

Shadefall (Black tom with green eyes) [Name courtesy wilder123]

Lizardfang (Brown tom with black stripes; amber eyes)

[Apprentice: Nightpaw]

Silverstorm (Silver tom with blue eyes)

Scarlettail (Dark brown she-cat with dark ginger tail; green eyes)

**Apprentices:**

Emberpaw (Light ginger tabby tom with green eyes) [Name courtesy wilder123]

Fallenpaw (Dark tabby tom with yellow eyes) [Name courtesy wilder123]

Tigerpaw (Dark tom with tiger stripes; amber eyes)

Nightpaw (Black she-cat with green eyes) [Name courtesy wilder123]

**Queens:**

Lightgaze (Black she-cat with golden yellow eyes)

[Mother of Frogkit]

Mintdawn (Light brown she-cat with blue eyes)

[Mother of Darkkit and Firekit]

Fastfoot (Dark she-cat with yellow eyes)

[Mother of Longkit and Molekit]

**Elders:**

Tanglepelt (Mottled brown she-cat with blue eyes)

Halfleg (Black tom with green eyes; missing half his hind leg)


	3. Road to Ruin

**A/N: Long time no see! If you're still there, then I applaud your determination and patience. I promise I'll post updates more often than half a year. A lot of stuff happened, and I think I've finally gotten into a good writing groove. So, please read and review chapter 2 of Warriors: Broken Heroics!**

The night was pitch black; the moon was the shape of a cat-claw, and clouds laced the sky. Wind whistled through the trees. There was no motion save for the shuffling of the leaves in the pine trees. In the distance, a Twoleg nest glowed with an eerie unnatural light. Suddenly, a bush trembled, and a cat moved into the light. It was a brown tom; his yellow eyes glittered, wide with fear, as he took a cautious step forward.

"A-are you there?" he called softly. There was a rustling, and a shape moved in the shadows. The brown tom couldn't see anything, but the cat's voice was like ice.

"Quiet, fool," the voice hissed. The cat moved into the light – it was a brown tom, with dark stripes. He shoved the other, smaller warrior back, pushing him back into the shadows. He had met with this cat before – always meeting in front of the Twoleg nest on his territory. He unsheathed his claws, wishing to sink them into him. He stank of the moor, and rabbits, and was pathetically small compared to the larger warrior...but he was important. At least, he was at the moment.

"S-sorry, Lizardfang," the smaller warrior mewed tentatively. "I w-wanted to make sure it was you, in case..." He trailed off. Lizardfang sniffed derisively.

"No other cat is going to be out here, rabbit-breath!" he hissed. The small cat laid his ears back, and Lizardfang felt a glow of satisfaction. He cast a suspicious glance around, then turned back. "So, Blacknose...how is Dawnfire doing?" He gritted his teeth as he spoke the name of the cat he hated. That cat – Dawnfire – had ruined his life.

She had killed his brother when all three were apprentices. Not long after, she and and some tom had killed his mentor. Lizardfang had tried to fight, but his mentor had shoved him away. And then, a full five moons later, Dawnfire had murdered the previous ShadowClan deputy – Lizardfang's father. Lizardfang shuddered as he remembered the moment he had come across Duststone's body: bloodied, broken...and reeking of WindClan.

Duststone had been found on the ThunderClan border, but it was obvious that a WindClan cat had killed him. In fact, he recognized the scent of the cat almost instantly: Dawnfire. Right then, standing over his father's body, Lizardfang had vowed vengeance for his father, his mentor, and his brother. Even now, his nose burned with her putrid scent as he remembered the moment.

"Lizardfang?" Lizardfang turned and faced Blacknose; he sounded more secure. It always took him a few moments to get used to the trees; the stinking coward spent too much time under the night sky.

"What do you want?" the large tom asked, flicking his tail smugly. He saw Blacknose flinch at his strong meow, and almost purred.

"You _will_ hold up your end of the deal, won't you?" Blacknose asked. Lizardfang twitched his ears in annoyance. The cowardly cat wanted to be the leader of WindClan. Lizardfang had promised that he would help the black warrior achieve his dreams, but only after he had finished with Dawnfire. Of course, what Blacknose didn't know was that he wasn't the only cat Lizardfang was meeting with in secret.

"Of course," he mewed irritably. "I always keep my word." He watched Blacknose, wondering how he would respond to that. Of course, Lizardfang had no intentions of giving WindClan over to that spineless fool. Lizardfang had a deal with BloodClan. In return for helping him kill Dawnfire, and Lizardfang's revenge was complete, his knowledge of the lake would help the Clan of rogues conquer the territory on the moor. The black cat nodded, and, without another word, turned and sprinted into the undergrowth. Lizardfang stared after him for a moment, then turned and headed back to the ShadowClan camp.

Marshfur pushed out of the bramble thicket and into the middle of the camp. She noted that the fresh-kill pile was unusually low. Maybe she would take Fallenpaw out for some hunting practice, she mused as she picked up a frog from the pile. She glanced around, and saw only her leader, Sweetstar, was awake. The young warrior quickly ate her frog, then padded up to Sweetstar.

"Yes, Marshfur?" Sweetstar asked, not looking up from the prey at her paws. Her voice was cool, but friendly and inviting.

"I was wondering if there was anything you had planned for me today," the dappled warrior replied calmly. "If not, I will take Fallenpaw out for some hunting practice." Sweetstar dipped her head in a nod.

"I have not chosen you for a patrol any time soon, and I believe Flamestrike has not either." Her eyes flicked to the fresh-kill pile, and back to her prey. "Taking Fallenpaw out hunting will do ShadowClan good," she added.

Marshfur dipped her head in respect, before turning and padding over to one of the bramble thickets. Before she could call for her apprentice, however, he appeared out of the apprentice's den. She twitched her tail in amusement at his half-awake look.

"Fallenpaw, we're going to go hunting." He blinked in acknowledgment. "But get some prey first," she added. He nodded and stumbled over to the pile, grabbing and downing a small mouse. She waited for him at the camp entrance, and headed through when he came up to her. They ran through the pine trees until Marshfur flicked her tail, indicating for them to stop.

"What can you smell?" she asked. Fallenpaw scrunched up his face, seemingly making a huge effort to breathe in the scents of the forest.

"There's...you, and me, and some other cats – frog, and the Twolegs," he finished, flicking his tail towards the Twoleg path. Marshfur nodded in agreement; that was all the same things she smelled. Fallenpaw was her first apprentice; she had been given her warrior name only two moons ago, and been given Fallenpaw one moon after that.

"How far away is the frog?" she asked encouragingly. Fallenpaw opened his mouth, about to answer, when suddenly he leaped into the air. He snapped his teeth around something, and landed lightly. Marshfur saw that her apprentice had caught a frog...out of mid-air! "Good job!" she purred. The dappled warrior took a few steps forward, before digging a shallow hole in the ground. Fallenpaw dropped the frog into it, and then brushed dirt over it to cover its scent. "We'll come back for it," she promised him.

Marshfur led him away, deeper into ShadowClan territory. Not long from the abandoned Twoleg nest, she paused again. Before she could tell Fallenpaw to sniff for prey, a faint scent hit the roof of her mouth: WindClan. What were WindClan doing so deep in ShadowClan territory? They lived on the other side of the lake, for StarClan's sake! She wondered if she should go report this to Sweetstar, and had just made up her mind when a familiar shape appeared out of the undergrowth, carrying a lizard in his jaws.

"Lizardfang, what are you doing out here?" she asked, relaxing. While it was unusual to find a warrior alone, it was much better than finding an cat from another Clan. Lizardfang dropped the lizard, flicking his ears in greeting to Marshfur.

"Hunting," he said, indicating the lizard with a paw. "I was part of the dawn patrol, and split off to gather fresh-kill." He narrowed his eyes, as if daring her to challenge his story. The younger warrior blinked, unsure what to make of this.

"S-sorry," she said, dipping her head in respect to the older warrior. He stared her for a moment, before dipping his head to pick up his prey and race away. Marshfur shook herself, and glanced over at Fallenpaw. He had said nothing, but she could see that the exchange had unnerved him as well. "Come on," she said. "They're still plenty of prey out there. It's a good green-leaf; let's not waste it." She bounded forward, forcing the young apprentice to follow after her.

The two cats hunted until well past sunhigh. When they arrived back at camp, they were dragging a frog a-piece, with Fallenpaw also hauling a fat mouse that had strayed over the ThunderClan border. Marshfur dropped her frog on the fresh-kill pile, and Fallenpaw did the same. She glanced around, unconsciously seeking out Lizardfang. She let out a sigh when she saw that he was lounging outside the warrior's den.

Unease continued to eat away at her as she watched her apprentice bounce over to the apprentice's den, bragging about his hunting abilities to his denmates. She purred in amusement as she watched him, but her mind kept dragging back to their hunting expedition. She couldn't, for the life of her, figure out what WindClan would be doing so deep inside her Clan's territory. All she had was that scent, and barely a whiff of it.

Deciding she needed to investigate, she got up and headed for the camp entrance. Before she reached the tunnel, though, she heard a cat calling her name. Glancing back, she saw Flamestrike making his way over to her. With a huff of annoyance, she turned to face him.

"I know it's a little early," he started off, "but I want you to know that you'll be part of the dawn patrol tomorrow. Make sure you get plenty of rest; it'll do the Clan no good having sleeping cats on its border patrols."

Marshfur nodded, bristling at his remark. Glancing up at the sky, she judged that she still had time to make it to the abandoned Twoleg nest. The young warrior hurried out of camp before another cat could interrupt her. She made her way quickly to the nest, taking the same path as earlier. However, when she got there, she discovered the strangest thing: the WindClan scent was gone!

Confused, Marshfur pushed her nose to the ground, and tried to pick up any scent. All she could smell was herbs, and the faintest hint of ShadowClan. It wasn't even enough for her to determine which ShadowClan cat had come this way. From the overwhelming scent of herbs, though, she had to guess that it was Yellowcloud. She closed her eyes, fighting back the frustration that threatened to overwhelm her.

"There _must_ be a rational explanation," Marshfur said out loud. Just hearing her own voice calmed her down, and she continued to mew to herself as she slowly padded back to the ShadowClan camp. "It was probably nothing worth noting anyway. Just the scent caught on one of the other ShadowClan cats. There was a Gathering only a few nights ago. Maybe some cat just got close to a WindClan warrior, and the scent hung on." This seemed like the most reasonable explanation, and the brown she-cat was sure she had solved the mystery as she padded through the bramble tunnel into the ShadowClan camp.

The sun had gone down, and the moon was shining, as she hurried over to the warrior's den. She crept in, and silently curled up in her nest. Just before she fell asleep, she picked up a strange scent coming from Lizardfang...in fact, it smelled an awful lot like the area around the abandoned Twoleg nest. He smelled of herb, so much so it was tough to distinguish his scent beneath it all. The curiousness of all this was lost on Marshfur as she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

Yellowcloud watched from just inside her den as Marshfur came into camp, and into the warrior's den. The young warrior was sharp, intuitive, but she had a short temper, and was too quick to argue. If she survived long enough, she could become deputy...even Clan leader. But that was a long way off. Yellowcloud would be in StarClan by then, she was sure, and then Emberpaw would be the medicine cat of ShadowClan.

With a sigh, she turned to head to her nest. She froze when she saw a strange shape. Stars curled down from the sky, swirling and seeming to form into the shape of a cat. She recognized him almost instantly as Toadlight. She glanced backwards, but no other cats were around to witness the StarClan warrior's appearance. Before she could speak, he opened his mouth.

"Many fires have started. Beware, for one will go out, sending its ashes far from here. Fangs glitter, blood spills, wounds will open, and worlds will shake. Beware the cold leaf-bare."

Between one blink and the next, Toadlight vanished. Yellowcloud stared at the spot where the StarClan cat had stood, not understanding. Was something going to happen to Flamestrike? She took a step towards her nest...and suddenly, the clearing burst into flames. The medicine cat let out a yowl of panic and surprise, but no cats came.

Could this be a vision? Yellowcloud glanced back, but could see no cats through the tunnel that led to her den. She shivered, but not from cold, as she turned back to face the flames. There were distinctly two now – two separate fires. One was much larger than the other, and consumed the smaller one. Sparks flew, and ashes blew away in a sudden blast of wind. In the next instant, her den was exactly as it had been when she had first entered it.

Yellowcloud slumped to the ground. A vision and a StarClan visit? Something to do with fire...scattering ashes...she squeezed her eyes shut, but nothing came. Flamestrike was strong, a good deputy. Would someone surely want him dead? But then, what was that part about the ashes? Was something to happen to Sootwish? But the two cats were unrelated.

The medicine cat let out a hiss of annoyance, before standing up and padding over to her nest. She sank onto it gratefully, the weight of the prophecy weighing on her. She closed her eyes and fell asleep, still trying to make sense of it all.

…

Palepaw opened his mouth in a wide yawn, his back arching in a luxurious stretch. In the next instant, Stormfang was there, his blue eyes glittering in the early morning light. Palepaw let out a wordless sigh before climbing out of his nest. In the last few days, it seemed as if Stormfang had him on his paws from dawn to dusk training. _But I don't mind_, he thought. _I'm learning so much_.

He hopped over to the fresh-kill pile and grabbed up a rabbit. Settling down, he began tearing into it. A moment later, Briarpaw was there next to him. In the past moon, Stormfang and Foxfur had begun pitting them against each other in training exercises, letting Palepaw learn what it was like to fight against a smaller opponent, while the light brown apprentice got the chance to battle someone at least closer to her size than her mentor.

"Are you ready to get beat again?" Briarpaw asked, her eyes bright with mischief. Palepaw flicked his tail in annoyance. Ever since she had beaten him in one mock battle, the light apprentice wouldn't let him forget it. Unfortunately, she bragged to Thistlepaw too. The older, tabby apprentice seemed to think this meant that Palepaw was completely incapable of battling. What the tawny apprentice wouldn't give to sink his claws into Thistlepaw's pelt.

"You wish," he answered. "You were just lucky that I tripped over that root. Today, it's you who's going hom covered in dirt."

"You're on," was the she-cat's vehement response. Palepaw quickly finished what was left of his rabbit and jumped to his feet. Briarpaw leaped up after him. Suddenly, she lurched and rammed against him with her shoulder. The dark apprentice, stumbled, but before he could retaliate, Briarpaw shot forward with a triumphant meow. "Last one to the training area gets to search for ticks!"

Palepaw let out a yowl of frustration and raced after his friend. By the time he reached the training clearing, he was out of breath, his sides heaving. Sitting with her tail around her paws, a smug look on her face, was Briarpaw. With a gasp, Palepaw flicked his ears to acknowledge her victory, before sinking to the ground in exhaustion.

"Don't think about sleeping yet," a voice suddenly mewed. Looking around him, Palepaw found himself staring into the amber eyes of Foxfur. "We haven't even begun our training yet." A moment later, Stormfang appeared next to the ginger warrior. "Right, let's get started. Palepaw, you've been slowly progressing against Briarpaw, but you continue to underestimate her. You need to learn not to judge your opponent based on size alone. Just because a cat is small, they are not weak."

"Foxfur is right," the gray warrior mewed. "You focus too much on your opponent's size and shape, and less on watching them and learning their moves. You need to watch your opponent carefully, study the motion of their limbs, discern their battle strategy, and react with a reasonable counter. Foxfur, would you like to help me show them what I mean?"

"Of course," Foxfur mewed. He sank into a crouch, his legs tense and tail straight, and gave his companion a nod to indicate that he was ready. With a flash, the gray warrior launched forward, his front paws outstretched as if he were about to sink his claws into Foxfur. The ginger warrior leaped backwards, before pushing off the ground and butting his head into Strormfang's chest, knocking the larger warrior back.

"Good," Stormfang grunted. "But I'm not down yet." This time, he raced to the side, and began circling Foxfur, though his eyes never left his opponent. Foxfur hissed and lashed out experimentally, but his paws just bounced back against Stormfang's momentum. A second later, Stormfang pushed against the ground, launching himself away from his opponent. He came to a stumbling halt, shaking his head to fight away the dizziness. Foxfur, on the other hand, was still slowly spinning, stumbling from side to side before falling to the ground with a _thud_.

"See what I mean?" the ginger warrior mewed from his position on the ground. "After the first attack, Stormfang knew a straight-forward attack wouldn't work against me, so instead, he found a way to outsmart me. That was well-fought," he added, nodding to Palepaw's mentor. The two warriors were still gasping for breath, slowly shaking their heads to clear the dizziness. "Now why don't you two see if you can figure it out?"

The two apprentice's shared a wide-eyed gaze, before nodding slowly to their mentors.

"Alright," Palepaw said, sinking to the ground in a fighting crouch. "This time, I'll let you make the first move."

"Ha!" Briarpaw slowly began padding lightly around him, almost looking as if she were stalking prey. "Your mistake," she mewed. Suddenly, she pushed forward with a yowl, and came racing towards him. He let out a hiss of surprise, and quickly backpedaled. Briarpaw's paws came smashing to the ground right where he had been crouched a moment ago. Before he could retaliate, she rushed forward, paws outstretched, and slammed them into Palepaw. He staggered backwards, but kept his feet planted on the ground.

"I won't be so easy to beat this time," the apprentice mewed with narrowed eyes. Briarpaw still had her paws planted on his shoulders, and he used this to his advantage. Leaning down, he pushed off with his front paws, launching himself upwards, and sending her stumbling backwards. While she tried to recover her balance, he rushed forward, and butted his head into her side, knocking her to the ground.

"You cheated," Briarpaw grumbled, climbing to her paws. Her fur was ruffled and dirty, no doubt mirroring his own. "You attacked before I was ready." Palepaw shook his head.

"_You_ attacked before _I_ was ready," he mewed in answer.

"Alright, that's enough," Foxfur mewed as he strode between the two apprentices. "You both fought well. Briarpaw, that was clever of you to take advantage of your speed to get in and attack before he had a chance to think. Palepaw, that was a very nice counter-attack. You took advantage of your opponent's arrogance, and you it against her. That was some very quick thinking."

"Hey, who are you calling arrogant?" his apprentice mewed with a huff. Stormfang came up behind her, and sat down.

"You need to learn to control your emotions," he mewed quietly. "You are excellent in battle, and a good hunter from what Foxfur tells me, but you are overconfident in your abilities. That could be a fatal error." Briarpaw's ears laid back in annoyance, but she didn't say anything. "You've both done very well," the gray warrior repeated. "Let's head back to camp. You two deserve a rest."

Briarpaw's eyes reflected Palepaw's own exhaustion and relief as the two warriors stood and charged away towards the camp. The two apprentices heaved a coupled sigh and began plodding along after their mentors.

"Foxfur was right," the she-cat suddenly sighed. "You were great." Palepaw blinked. Where was this sudden praise coming from? "But I should have been able to beat you!" she added with a yowl. The dark apprentice found himself purring with relief; that was the Briarpaw he knew.

"Yeah, right," he said. "I had you beat before the battle even began. Maybe now you'll think twice before bragging about beating me."

"You just got lucky," was the hasty response. Palepaw flicked his ears in disbelief, but Briarpaw kept talking. "I was tired, and you ate and I didn't, and you're bigger than me!"

"That's what you said when you beat me – that I was too big and bumbling to keep up with you!"

The two apprentices continued arguing about the battle all the way back to camp. The sun was high in the sky by the time they returned, and both eagerly sunk into their nests. A moment later, they both fell into a dreamless sleep.

When Palepaw opened his eyes, the moon was high in the sky, so bright that the stars nearest it couldn't be seen. He felt himself shiver as he gazed at the ring of darkness around the moon. Was this a dream? He leaned down and bit himself. Pain lanced up his paw, but nothing changed about the sky. He blinked, still afraid this might be a crazy nightmare like the one a moon ago.

But when he parted his jaws, the only scents he breathed in were the scents of the moor, and his Clanmates. The apprentice breathed a sigh of relief, and padded over to the fresh-kill pile. They were a few rabbits on it, but otherwise it was empty. He thought about going hunting, but he knew Stormfang would want to be notified, and the last thing he wanted to do right now was bother his mentor.

So instead, he sat down in the center of the clearing and began washing himself. Normally he didn't do this, but it seemed like it would be a good way to just think about things. While he washed, he closed his eyes, letting the scents of the camp shroud him in comfort. When he had finished cleaning his fur, the tawny apprentice opened his eyes, and glanced down at his light paws. They were the only physical resemblance he bore to his mother, and they were lighter than her fur ever was. Other than that, he shared his father's dark tabby pelt and amber eyes.

With a sigh, Palepaw stood up and padded over to his nest. He sank down into it, gave Briarpaw's sleeping form an envious glance – she still had both her parents – and laid his head down on his paws. A moment later he was asleep, dreaming of meeting his father in StarClan and asking why he had to leave him so soon, and how he could do this to his son.

…

"Attack!" The yowl split the air, and Palepaw opened his eyes slowly, letting out a yawn. His eyes snapped open when he felt claws slam into his side and sink into his skin. He yowled in pain and threw himself upwards, dislodging his attacker. He looked around to see what was happening. WindClan were under attack. Cats were everywhere, hissing and thrashing in heated battle. Atop the Tallrock, he spotted Spottedstar, grappling with a vibrantly white, powerfully built tom. He stared in dismay as his leader fell, bleeding, from the Tallrock and crashed to the ground below.

**So, new characters are introduced, the beginnings of a devious plot are seen, prophecies make themselves known, and WindClan is attacked by a mysterious foe which can overpower even their leader! If you have any questions, faithful reader, please ask! Rate and review! I won't become a better writer if nobody tells me how I do or how to get better.**


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